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AAPPL Guide

This guide contains all the information you will need to get started with AAPPL. Welcome, and happy testing!

Please note that LTI has made multiple proctoring options available both in and out of school in an effort to support our community and learners. Please visit our Out of School Testing Page for comprehensive information and resources if you need to test outside of the school setting.

The full suite of AAPPL Resources for teachers, proctors, and administrators can now be found on the homepage of the LTI Client Site once you log in; look for the AAPPL Account Resources link. This includes detailed guides to test ordering, administration, reporting, and new AAPPL features. If you need access to this documentation and aren't a registered LTI Client Site user, please either contact your school administrator and request the Account Resources link or email aapplhelp@languagetesting.com.

Requesting and Administering AAPPL Tests, and Retrieving Results

Log in to the LTI Client Site to:

Notes On Ordering and Administering Tests:

Seal of Biliteracy Testing

  • If ordering AAPPL tests for Seal of Biliteracy Awards, we recommend checking your state’s Department of Education website for what AAPPL score is accepted. Many states require a score that can only be obtained by using Form B.

Who Should Upload AAPPL Test Requests:

  • Either administrators or teachers can upload test requests in order to have access to test login information.

Detailed information on test ordering and proctoring can be found within the AAPPL Resources once you log in to the LTI Client Site.

Test Familiarization:

  • Watch the video on the About page.
  • Review the Tasks & Topics page so you know what tasks and topics will be on the test.
  • Set goals/strategies using the Score Descriptions and Sample Score Report on the Scores page.
  • Check out the tips videos on the Tips page.
  • Take the Practice Test on this Demo page.
  • Learn everything you ever wanted to know about AAPPL, and more on the FAQs page!
  • Direct students to http://aappl2.actfltesting.org to take their tests.
  • Testing students in writing? Make sure students are learning keyboarding skills in the language and allow them to practice using the AAPPL Demo in the language.

Test Security Features:

In order to ensure test security and that each candidate’s responses are genuine, ACTFL and LTI have put in place several test security features. Many test security features are “invisible” to the users but the following may be noticeable to test takers and should not be considered as a malfunction of your device’s operation:

The following features are automatically disabled once a test taker has logged into an AAPPL assessment:

  • The right-click feature of your mouse;
  • The Google Translate browser extension, if installed.

Additionally, you will be logged out of the test and will need to sign back in to continue with the assessment if you:

  • Click on the Back button;
  • Open another webpage.

These logins and logouts are logged within our platform and are noticeable to test proctors.

Auto-Submit Functionality

When learners start working on an AAPPL component but forget/neglect to click the Submit button, a new functionality now moves those components to completion after 14 days to ensure that all components eligible for rating are handled within an optimal timeframe. Components will be automatically submitted 14 days after they are first accessed by the learner (when the learner doesn't click Submit). Please note that this will be handled for each AAPPL component individually, not for the test as a whole; only those components that have been accessed by the student will be auto-submitted after 14 days. Any components that have not been accessed by the learner will remain available to take in the future.

Those components that have sufficient responses will be rated. If incomplete components with only minimal learner responses are automatically submitted, they will be scored as Unratable (UR) and your account will not be charged. In the case of UR scores, you may order a retest by following the usual ordering process. LTI anticipates that the 14-day period will allow ample time for learners to complete any AAPPL component that they start in as many sessions as needed.

Technology:

  • Ask your Technology Coordinator to review the Technology FAQs.
  • Request that an IT staff-person help you with headset/microphone setup and settings.
  • Run this System Check (AAPPL) in advance, and again just prior to testing to ensure proper settings.
    • Due to a recent update to the Chrome browser, it is now necessary for all test candidates who wish to use Chrome to complete a System Check immediately before taking their test in order to confirm that Live Captions are not enabled.

      If enabled, the Live Caption feature in Chrome interferes with the test-taking experience whenever audio and/or video is played. Therefore, it must be confirmed to be disabled before the candidate accesses the test or their test score could be affected. Please guide your test-takers to use another browser (Edge, Firefox, or Safari) if possible. If Chrome must be used, and you have test-takers that report that Live Caption is enabled in their browser, please refer to the instructions found on the landing page of your LTI Client Site or contact LTI at 1-800-486-8444 (Option 1), Monday-Friday 8am-7pm ET or support@languagetesting.com for assistance with Chrome.
  • Verify your keyboard of choice works with the AAPPL Presentational Writing (PW) by testing it out with the demo tests available here.
  • Request that an IT staff-member be on hand to assist you with local issues during testing.

ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGY TIPS:

  • Test your school's bandwidth to be sure that your connection is fast enough to deliver the AAPPL to many students simultaneously. Prior to the actual day of the assessment, have all the students in a class simultaneously take the first component of one of the AAPPL demo tests in order to troubleshoot your connection while also helping students to become familiar with the test.
  • Run the AAPPL System Check in advance and on the day of testing.
  • Administering the Writing test component? Prepare for keyboarding:
    • AAPPL
      • AAPPL will use any language keyboard input your school uses for instruction, other than pop-up, on-screen keyboards.
      • To ensure keyboard compatibility with AAPPL’s security features, schools should verify their keyboard of choice works with the AAPPL Presentational Writing (PW) demo tests available here.
      • For English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, on-screen special character support is provided wherever students will be entering text. No additional set-up is required. Students taking the PW component on a Windows-based computer may also use ALT codes, as described here, if that’s preferable.
      • For Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, and Russian, language-specific keyboard layouts must be set up. (Similarly, they may also be used for French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, if desired.) Select the operating system for the device being used and follow the directions provided to complete the set-up: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Chromebook, MacOS, iPad OS. For Android tablets, consult your device’s online support to determine how to change keyboard input settings.
      • NOTE: Transliteration keyboards of any kind are not acceptable forms of input on ACTFL assessments.

For support contact us at aapplhelp@languagetesting.com, or (800) 486-8444 from 8:00 am 6:30 pm ET.

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